Geography - Living World (Paper One) Notes

What is an Ecosystem?

Keywords:

Ecosystem - A living community of plants and animals sharing an environment with non-living elements such as climate and soil 

Small Scale Ecosystem - also known as micro, for example a pond 

Medium Scale Ecosystem - also known as messo, for example a forest

Large Ecosystem - also known as biome, for example the tropical rainforest 

Producers - organisms that obtain their energy from the sun. for example -trees, potatoes, cabbage

Consumers - organisms that obtain their energy by eating other organisms. for example - pigs, frogs

Decomposers - organisms such as bacteria that breaks down plant and animal material. for example - fungi, mushrooms

Scavengers - organisms that consume dead animals or plants 

Abiotic - things that are not living - heat, soil, roots, water

Biotic - things that are living - consumers and producers 

Sustainable: using natural resources without harming the environment so that it isn't spoilt for future generations 

If all the oak trees are cut down, no oak acorns will be there, so the mouse population will decrease. With no mouses around hawks and snakes will slowly die due to starvation. Nutrients int the soil will  increase though when the animals decompose 

If the snakes are wiped out, the amount of mouse will increase as they are not being eaten. Also the salamander and kinglet population will increase as there is less competition for food. 

Global Biomes 

Temperate Deciduous Forest:

• Long growing season precipitation can occur throughout the year. The climate is average as we have a lot of rain but average temperature 

• They cure found in Britain, Australia, North and South America and Asia

• Typical animals are foxes, wild rabbits, squirrels and grass snakes

• The trees are oak trees, holly and moss

• The soil is thick, radish brown, firm and very fertile. because in the winter, leaves drop and decompose 

• Parts of Africa, along the equator line

• Animals such as camels, sand lizards and snakes

• The vegetation has adapted to survive in the harsh desert climate: cactuses and succulents 

• The soil is rocky, sandy and grey, it is dry but soaks up rainwater 

• 250mm of rain a year. Daytime climate is 40 but night drops below freezing 

• Bacteria releases nutrients from waste/ decomposed 

• Distributed in Brazil, Congo and south  America, central parts of Africa, South East Asia and Northern Australia 

• The vegetation adapts to the climate and poor soils, grows in distinct layers 

• Soil is red, acidic and rich in iron. Not very fertile as the rain washes it away 

• Giant snails, tigers, parrots, birds and frogs 

• Leaching - The dissolving and removal of nutrients from the soil, usually because of heavy rainfall washing them away 

• Lianas - woody creepers rooted to the ground but wrap around trees to reach the canopy 

• Leaves have drip tips to allow the heavy rain to run off the leaf

• Epiphytes - air plants” don't use roots, just perch on branches 

• Buttress roots - have massive ridges to anchor them to the ground 

• Ferns - have large leaves so that they can live in the shade and still get enough light 

• the typical soil is called latosol and is brownish-red and infertile 

• the vegetation grows high because they need plenty of sunlight

• there is little vegetation on the floor as there is not a lot of sunlight 

• trees have buttress roots to anchor the massive trees and absorb nutrients as soon as possible 

• Biggest reason for deforestation 

• they have cattle ranches to provide people with food 

• the frames normally burn the wood to make space and involves large scale clearance and is the worst type of deforestation 

• However more money and jobs are created 

• Brazil is a big producer of soy oil and palm oil

• Threatening many species and destroying habitats

• Moratorium - a delay of suspension of an activity or law 

• Cutting down trees, mainly for paper and furniture

• After mahogany 

• provides jobs 

• can also be used for fuel

• Caused by rapid population grow, rainforest taken place to make room for more people

• Mining for iron ore

• Scares the land, leaves it empty

• 20% of the oxygen we breath is produced in the amazon rainforest

• Fires are started by slash and burn of by lighting 

• What is the biggest cause of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest?  Cattle Ranching - 60%

• Complete the following with one type of damage for each:

• Environmental - Habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity, the number of endangered species in Brazil increased from 218 to 628 in 2008

• Social - Local Ways of life have been affected, Brazilian rubber tappers have lost their livelihoods as rubber trees have been cut down

• Economic - Farming makes a lot of money for countries in the rainforest. $6-9 billion in the trading cattle 

• Which country intend to replant 100,000km2 of the forest before 2018? Peru

• Some countries are trying to reduce the number of hardwood trees felled, give an example of a type of hardwood: Brazil Mahogany 

• Name a region where ecotourism is becoming popular? Madre De Dois Region 

• Explain what the Brazilian Forest Code is and how it works: Landowners have to keep 50-80% of their land as forest

• It’s important to designate areas as national parks because it helps to protect which species? Black Caimans and River Dolphins

• Explain how reducing debt has worked in the Amazon’s favour: Conserving it’s rainforest 

• Carbon Sinks - NGO’s (Non Government Organisations) e.g: RSPB pay money to make rainforests into national parks = no deforestation which helps global warming and acts as a ‘carbon sinks’  

• Debt Relief - Countries look after their rainforests in return for money 

• Forest Stewardship Council - Products that have been sourced from sustainable managed forests carry the FSC. The FSC tries to educate manufactures and consumers about the need to buy wood from sustainable sources

• Developing Ecotourism - Promoting ecotourism in it’s forests - allowing people to enjoy the forest but without causing environmental damage 

• Distribution - Deserts are located in Africa (Sahara) Austrila has the Great Sandy Desert which is large but arid 

• Arid = Dry 

• Desert Climate - Around 40 degrees in the daytime and at night it is below freezing and about 250mm of rainfall per year

• Desert Soil - sandy/stoney. soil is quite dry but soaks up water quickly after rainfall, not very fertile 

• Transpiration - Evaporation from leaves

• Spikes - Put off Predators 

• Barrel Cactus - Shape allows it to expand when it rains and store water in its spongey tissue 

• Old Man Cactus - White hairy surface helps the plant reflect the hot desert sun

• Aloe Vera - Waxy surface acts like a plastic wrapper, keeping water inside 

• Shallow roots because it can get the rain before it evaporates 

• Strange Quivering Tree - self amputate sectors of itself to survive 

• Tourists - visiting areas such as Las Vega and Death Valley - 1 million visitors every year

• In the past, gold and silver mining - most now closed

• Military as they test out aeroplanes and train troops

• Filmmakers, attracted by the scenery 

• Hikers and Rock climbers

• Solar and wind energy generation 

• Off-road vehicles including quad bikes and motor cycles making use of varied terrain 

• Water for commercial farming and people come from the mojave and colorada river

• Lake Mead is Shrinking 

• Off-road vehicles damage sensitive ecosystem 

• Increase of air pollution and desert area shrinking because of growth of urban areas

• Higher demand for water because increase of the Las Vegas population and farming 

1. The Mojave Water Agency gives people vouchers to buy water efficient toilets and washing machines 

1. The Mojave Water Agency pay people to remove grass lawns and replace them with gravel and plants that don't need much water (Xeriscaping) 

1. Death Valley has been made into a national park which means native species are protected and there are strict rules on land use e.g: no mining 

1. There are designated roads for off-road vehicles 

1. Sensitive areas fenced off to help conserve plant life 

1. MGM Mirage Hotels and some others use drip-irrigation to water their laws 

• Tap roots up to 25m long to absorb water and nutrients before they evaporate 

• Small needle-like leaves to protect the plant from drying out and stop water loss 

• Small linear laves that are hairy and succulent to stop winding drying the plant out - water loss

• Needle- like leaves to stop water and put off predators 

• Coated with a waxy resin to reduce water loss 

• Roots very close to the surface to absorb the nutrients and water quickly after rainfall 

• Outside skin is pleated so there is water available and then expand when soaking the water up 

• Subsistence farming (growing enough for family)  and the selling some crops at market

• Some grazing land can be irrigated using groundwater from boreholes 

• Cattle, goat and sheep farming is now a big industry in the Kalahari 

• Lots of mining in the area- coal, diamond and copper mines 

• Local wool is gathered from desert livestock 

• Mining has used a lot of water and forced native people off of their land 

• Fencers put up by farmers have blocked migration routes of wild animals e.g. wildebeest 

• Irrigation of farming has depleted groundwater supplies of water

• Overgrazing of land has caused soil erosion 

• The environment will suffer if tourism becomes over developed 

• Soil erosion by wind, raining over cultivation 

• Reserves of fuel and fire wood are running out 

• Leaves can be used to feed the animals during the winter

• Trees provide good quality firewood 

• crops benefit from the shade of the tree

• They help to stabilise the sand dunes

• Pods can be used for animal food 

• Temperate - moderate / medium

• Deciduous - they shed their leaves in autumn because of a reduction in light and heat 

• Distribution - North West Europe, Europe, Eastern North America and East Asia 

1. Dead Leaves and animal waste fall all year round 

1. Decomposers release nutrients from them 

1. The soil is poor because the nutrients don't get a chance to sink in 

1. The nutrients help the vegetation to grow again 

1. The roots quickly take up the nutrients again 

• Dog Walking

• Bird Watching 

• Golf

• Picnics 

• Jogging 

• Fishing 

• Cycling 

• Horse Riding 

• Selling Wood

• Ash Trees - have long roots but also a network of shallower roots to get nutrients near to the surface 

• Silver Birch - Grow very tall to be able to reach the light first

• Oak Tree - Leaves are broad to maximise use of light for photosynthesis 

• Bracken - The breakdown of leaf litter into humus allows nutrients to be accessible to all plants 

Hot Deserts:

Tropical Rainforests:

Tropical Rainforests Plant Adaptions

Tropical Rainforest Causes of Deforestation: Amazon

Cattle Ranchers:

Commercial Plantations:

Loggers:

Tribes are losing their homes 

leads to soil erosion and mud slides

Resetters:

Miners:

Fire Starters:

Using a Case Study of a Tropical Rainforest, Describe the effects of Deforestation 

The Amazon rainforest is in Brazil, south America. Deforestation is happening in the mason and is having positive and negative results. 

The positives or deforestation is that it creates many jobs, mainly in the mining and logging industry. In the mining industry, The Buenaventura mining company created three thousand jobs. Another positive is that in 2008, £8 billion dollars was made from cattle farming. However the decreasing number of trees are having an impact on animals as their habitats have gone and they are becoming endangered. Also rubber tappers have lost their livelihoods as rubber trees have been cut down. 

Sustainability in the Amazon Rainforest: Final Questions 

Sustainable Rainforest Management - International Level 

Features of Desert Biomes 

MEDC Desert Case Study - Mojave Desert, Las Vegas

Economic Uses of Mojave Desert

Problems

Sustainable Management of the Mojave Desert 

The Thar Desert (LEDC) - Plant Adaptions:

Great Basin Sagebrush 

Desert Yellow Daisy 

Joshua Tree

Giant Saguaro Cactus 

Economic Opportunities: 

Negative Impacts/ Challenges:

Prosopis Trees:

Case Study: Temperate Deciduoes Forest - Epping Forest

The Nutrient Cycle:

Climate - rainfall throughout the year, warm summers and not too dry, cool winters

Soils - rich and fertile brown soil

Uses:

Vegetation Adaptions:

• Ash Trees - have long roots but also a network of shallower roots to get nutrients near to the surface 

• Silver Birch - Grow very tall to be able to reach the light first

• Oak Tree - Leaves are broad to maximise use of light for photosynthesis 

• Bracken - The breakdown of leaf litter into humus allows nutrients to be accessible to all plants